Description

SX 39 SW LUFFINCOTT LUFFINCOTT

4/22 Church of St James

14.2.58

GV I

Parish church, now redundant. Some C15 features, largely rebuilt in the late C18,
C20 renovations. Stone rubble with granite and polyphant dressings, slate roof with
C19 crested ridge tiles. A very small church with west tower, nave and chancel with
no internal or external division, south west porch. The dimensions of the building
may be C13, the extant fabric retains some late C15 Perpendicular features but was
thoroughly rebuilt in the late C18 (datestones of 1761 and 1791) in a plain Gothic
style reusing old masonry. Modest C19 restoration, and rebuilding of the east wall
possibly by J.P. St Aubyn, C20 renovations. The masonry and plinth suggest a long
history of rebuilding.
Gabled east end with bargeboards covered by decoratively-cut slates, deeply recessed
3-light granite Perpendicular window with cusped lights, heavily-moulded architrave,
hoodmould and label stops. The south side of the nave has a datestone of 1761 and 2
late C15 2-light square-headed granite windows with cusped lights, hoodmoulds and
label stops. The north side has a foliage carved late C15 wallplate, probably
originally sited inside the church, and is remarkable for having its medieval windows
replaced with two 24-pane sashes, probably dating from 1761, or earlier in the C18.
The sashes have heavy glazing bars which are ovolo-moulded to the interior. Small
unbuttressed battlemented 2-stage west tower, not tied in to the nave masonry, with
obelisk pinnacles on square bases with obelisk finials. A slate on the south side is
inscribed "This Tow'r was Rebuilt by Richard Sillifant Mason in 1791. John Venner.
Ch. Warden. Edmund Spetigue. Peek. John Trible Worden. Pevsner comments that
without the inscription the style of the tower would not show its date. The west
face of the tower has a cinquefoil-headed 1-light chamfered window below a cambered
granite hoodmould with a brick arch above. The north and south faces have 2-light
square-headed timber belfry windows with slate louvres and flat stone arches. The
gabled south porch has an unmoulded round-headed outer doorway, the arch with stone
voussoirs springing from plain imposts. The porch roof has been plastered in the
C20, the inner doorway is moulded polyphant with a segmental head.
Interior Rendered walls, semi-circular tower arch probably C18, no chancel arch.
Circa late C15 boarded waggon roof with carved bosses and chamfered ribs carved with
flowers, some ancient colour survives. The moulded wallplates are either late C19 or
C20 replacements and probably contemporary with the metal ties. The east end
fittings have been removed. Plain octagonal granite font on octagonal stem could be
medieval. Set of plain C19 benches with rectangular ends. Several C17 ledger stones
pave the nave. The south west door is probably early C18 with 4 fielded panels and
massive hinges with gudgeon hooks. Church said to have pre-Reformation bells.
Access to the church is through the farmyard of Luffincott Barton (qv), and the
church forms an attractive group with the Barton and associated farmbuildings. The
C18 rebuilding of the church (and the sash windows) is of considerable historic
interest in a county where C18 renovations have usually been obscured by mid to late
C19 restoration.
Pevsner, North Devon (1952).

Listing NGR: SX3323494655

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St James's Church, Luffincott at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7593466

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version